Improvement in potato-diggers



'dnted States SIMON SOULES, OF DOWAGIAC, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 90,404, (latedli/Iay 25, 1 869.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTAT-DIGGERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To ali whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIMON SOULES, of Dowagiac, in the county of Oass, and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Potato- Diggers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top view, and

Figure 2 Vis a longitudinal view through the diameter.

- A represents the frame, mounted on two separate carrying-wheels B B, and provided with the tongue O.

. The bars a a are pivoted at the rear end to the inner side of the rails H H of the frame A.' y

The front end of the bars a a are suspended by the chains o o and 'hooks (l d.

Said chains may be let out or taken up, as may. be desired,l in raising or lowering the digging-device.

. x a: represent the shovels, one of which" is placed a llittle in advance o'f the other, and both are attached to the under side of the front end of the bars a a.

At the rear edge, and from the under side of the shovels a: x, project the teetl1, which incline upward and backward, and are represented on the'drawiugs by the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, in the front shovel, and in the rear shovel by the figures (i,v 7, 8, 9.

1t will be seen that the teeth inthe rear shovel stand opposite the centre of the spaces between the teeth in the front shovel, which arrangement causes `the rear teeth to comb the ground left uncombed by the front teeth.

The length of the'teeth should be such as would reach about 4to the surface of the ground when the shovels are sudciently'deep in the ground to pass bei low the potatoes.

n It will be seen that the potatoes will he thrown to the top of `the ground by the action of the teeth, as

getl1er,rand to the vines, drawing under and crowding potatoes, vines, and roots, all to the surface of the ground together.

G'represents a lever, pivoted tothe frame A, the lower end of which is connected to, one of the bars a by means of the rod e, and is used to raise the shovels out of the ground, when desired.

lerepresents the -driveiis seat, which may be constructed in any of the known forms now in use.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

The bars a a, shovels a; xand the teeth l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, .vhen constructed, combined, and arranged as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand, this 22d day of January, 1869. SIMON SOULES.

Witnesses:

' Gao. W. WILSON,

H. MIOHAEL. 

